Voices of the Global Community

Multicultural Awareness Issues for Academic Advisors

Leigh Cunningham, Kansas State University

Multicultural awareness is
essential for academic advisors, for our cultural identity "is central
to what we see, how we make sense of what we see, and how we express
ourselves" (DuPraw & Axner, 1997). Lack of understanding about what
constitutes cultural identity, and how we are affected by the various
aspects of our world view, can be a source of conflict and a great
hindrance in the development of productive relationships. As DuPraw and
Axner (1997) note, "oftentimes we aren't aware that culture is acting
upon us. Sometimes we are not even aware that we have cultural values or
assumptions that are different from others!"

There are two guiding principlesthat we must keep in mind: (1) cultural identity is made up of a myriad of aspects, and (2) while
we can learn something from generalizations about cultures, we must not
allow these generalizations to cause us to stereotype or over-simplify
our ideas about others. It is crucial that we preface any
discussion of diversity issues with firm declarations that ALL people
have cultural identity and that we value ALL forms of diversity, whether
they be majority or minority.
One of the most disturbing recent trends has been the
equation of the terms 'multicultural' and 'diversity' with ethnic/racial
minority status.

Three major issues must be addressed in this discussion:

Race and ethnicity are only two of the many identity
factors that contribute to our world view. Some others are gender,
socioeconomic status, level of acculturation to majority norms,
geographic region of origin, level of mobility (both physical and
geographic), sexual orientation, educational achievement, speech
patterns, family structure, religious beliefs, age cohort, health
status, varieties of 'challenges' and 'ableness,' and various types of
life experience.

Recognized racial/ethnic groups in the United States
are rarely - if ever - homogenous, and in-group distinctiveness may be
as prominent as differences between groups. As noted by Brown and Rivas
(1995), "all ethnic groups within our country are an aggregation of many
distinct subgroups." Americans from every currently recognized
racial/ethnic group "represent a majestic array of diversity" that MUST
NOT "be described in generic terms" (Priest & McPhee, 2000, 106).

Ethnic identity is not restricted to minority groups; majority-group members also have ethnicity.

We must not make the mistake of thinking that we know
much of anything about anyone simply because we are aware of their
racial or ethnic classification! As Brown and Rivas (1995) caution, "advisors must approach the first advising session with few preconceived
notions about the student."

In recent years, many people have discussed the 'characteristics' of
umbrella-labeled groups they considered representative of various
aspects of diversity. While no doubt the intention has been to increase
sensitivity and ability to communicate, in all too many cases what has
actually been accomplished is a delineation of new sets of stereotypical
expectations - or reinforcement of old ones - that inappropriately
color expectations and decrease clarity in communication. In the area of
race/ethnicity, for example, the most common umbrella-terms used are
African-American, Asian-American, European-American, Native American,
and Hispanic/Latino - even though research tells us that most people
oppose being classified in this way. Other divisions of this kind are
also used, such as discussions of the 'common characteristics' of
members of American generational cohorts, known by terms such as the
'Silent Generation,' the 'Baby-Boomers,' and the 'Gen-Xers.' If we
create these sorts of categorical expectations, then we are in danger of
viewing behavior through these preconceived 'filters.'

Rather than focusing on characteristics of specific populations, a
better approach is learning to look beyond specific behaviors in order
to discover intent, because similar behaviors can serve dissimilar
functions (and different behaviors serve similar ones) in different
settings. For instance, it is important to know that, in some contexts,
respect is shown through the maintenance of eye contact, while in others
direct eye contact is viewed as a signal of disrespect, challenge, or
sexual invitation. It may also be crucial to be aware that, in some
cultural contexts, eating all of the food on one's plate is viewed as a
compliment to the preparer (and, conversely, not doing so may be
perceived as a great insult), while in others it is viewed as poor
manners and low-class status. Rather than focusing on the particular
culture involved, or even on the level of eye contact or the amount of
food eaten, we need to focus on how we can go about understanding what
communication (if any) is intended by these behaviors. (Perhaps my
stomach is upset and I am afraid I will become ill if I eat any more;
thus, how much I eat has nothing to do with either appreciation or
manners!)

For the past five years, I have taught a course in cultural awareness
using this approach, and one of the most common end-of-class responses I
have gotten is, "I took this course thinking I would learn about
behaviors that make us different, but instead I learned about how we can
begin to connect with one another." We need to begin by recognizing
that each of us views the world through the lens of our own
ethnocentricity; and then we need to learn strategies for recognizing
our lenses and moving beyond them. We need to understand that all
cultural behavior is learned and that all of us have the natural
tendency to judge the behavior of others in accordance with our own
experiences. While we might like to think otherwise, all of us are
ethnocentric, at least to some degree, both by nature and training. This
is not necessarily always a 'bad' thing, since a certain amount of love
for one's own culture is necessary to hold societies together; however,
anything that is positive (functional) at a certain level can become
negative (dysfunctional) when we take it too far, as frequently happens.
We can, however, train ourselves not to judge one culture by the
standards of another, and with vigilance, we can maintain (at least for
the most part) a stance of cultural relativism.

We need to learn about ways that cultural perspective can differ, such
as high-context vs low-context orientations. For example, we should be
aware of continuums of time orientation
(circular-'loose'/linear-'rigid'), space/tempo
(synchronicity-harmony/independence-individuality), type of reasoning
that is valued (intuitive-comprehensive/linear-analytical), types of
verbal messages used (formal-verbal/informal-non-verbal), societal role
expectations (flexible/non-flexible), and interpersonal relationships
(collectivist/individualistic). We should identify where our own
experience has placed us on each of these continuums and how that
placement might cause us to react to people who are at different points.
We should seek to identify areas that might be problematic for us,
because we are at one end of the continuum and might be more likely to
have strong reactions to people coming from the other end. We need to
develop good listening skills and learn how to gather information by
asking questions in a non-invasive, non-threatening manner.

These are the skills and strategies that best serve advisors for
working with students from any background. We must begin by
understanding that behaviors and verbalizations can have a variety of
meanings and intentions, depending upon context, and we must seek
knowledge of what the possibilities may be. Then we must be willing to
take the time for introspection and reflection on our own cultural
identity, seeking to understand our personal world view. As noted by
Cornett-DeVito and Reeves (1999), "advisors cannot merely increase
awareness and knowledge about those from other cultures. They must also
recognize themselves as cultural creatures and realize that they must
first know themselves to appreciate the cultural lenses through which
they interpret others" (p. 39). We must be willing to admit that we have
biases and stereotypes, and we must seek understanding of what these
are and where they come from. We must have the desire to be continually
working to look beyond our world view and the dedication to gaining the
knowledge and developing the skills that will aid us in doing so. We
must recognize that while it will not ever be possible for us to
completely erase the effects of our enculturation and experiences - and
that it is unlikely, and perhaps even undesirable, that we will ever
come to equally value or appreciate every possible means of cultural
expression - we can come to the place that we, for the most part, seek
to comprehend before we judge, and offer thoughtful, responsive
understanding and respect more often than reactive judgment.

Brown, T. & Rivas, M. (1995). Pluralistic advising: Facilitating
the development and achievement of first-year students of color. In M.L.
Upcraft & G.L.Kramer (Eds.), First-year academic advising: Patterns
in the present, pathways to the future (pp. 121-137). Columbia, SC:
University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for the Freshman
Year Experience & Students in Transition.

From the President

Ruth A. Darling, NACADA President

Dear Colleagues:

Happy New Year and best wishes for a fulfilling and
healthy 2004. As we begin a new year, it seems appropriate to provide
the NACADA community with an update of current initiatives, and a review
of the professional development opportunities available throughout the
coming year.

Through the dedication and expertise of the Association’s
member leaders, and with the assistance of the Executive Office staff,
the Association continues to embark on new professional development
programs and publishing opportunities. New initiatives being
implemented, or in the development stages, include:

Assessment Seminar 2004, February 5 & 6: a sell out!

A new Association partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).

Discussion with Jossey-Bass regarding a possible book series on academic advising.

A partnership with First Year Experience (FYE) to update the 1995 monograph First Year Academic Advising.

A partnership with ACT to publish the results of the 6th Survey on Academic Advising.

Development of a “Peer Advising” monograph scheduled to be published next winter.

Development of an “Advising Transfer Students” monograph.

Development of a “Faculty Advisor Workshop” sponsored by the Faculty Advisors Commission.

The “Advising Administrator’s Workshop” offered as a pre-conference at each 2004 Regional Conference.

Continued investigation of an “Advisor Certification Program.”

Continued development of “at-a-distance” professional development opportunities.

These new initiatives supplement NACADA’s successful
professional development opportunities that include: Regional
Conferences, Summer Institutes, Administrators’ Institute, National
Conference, the NACADA Journal,and the electronic newsletter, Academic Advising News.
The continuation and expansion of these activities are directed by the
emerging strategic plan that guides our association and its leadership
in its focus on NACADA’s critical role within higher education.

I look forward to meeting many of you at a Regional Conference this
spring. At each conference, a member of the NACADA Board of Directors
and an Executive Office staff member will facilitate a roundtable/open
discussion session. This session will provide an opportunity for
Association members to engage in conversation with NACADA leaders
regarding your concerns, needs and questions. Your feedback is important
to us!

Finally, please contact the NACADA Executive Office if you have specific questions or concerns.

Best wishes,

Ruth A. Darling
President

From the Executive Office

Roberta 'Bobbie' Flaherty, NACADA Executive Director

As
a means to assess how well this association is meeting the needs of its
members, we have initiated a series of three surveys seeking member
feedback. The first survey, completed in November and early December
2003, was directed toward persons who had been members for one or more
years, while the second survey in December 2003, was completed by new
members (less than one year). A third survey, to be completed in late
February, will go to individuals who have not renewed their membership.

The results of the first survey from 853 individuals who
have been members for over one year are very interesting. Some
highlights are:

66% of respondents had been members six or fewer years.

74% reported that their membership dues were paid by their institution or through grant monies.

When asked their primary reason for being a member,
44% indicated it was to “keep abreast of current advising issues,” while
34% said it was “for my personal professional development (conferences,
institutes, etc.)”

In rating member benefits,
91% said that NACADA sponsored professional development
conferences, Institutes, etc. were “important” or “very important” to
them as a member.
82% rated “increasing awareness and recognition of the
field in the higher education community” as “important” or “very
important”
73% rated the “NACADA Journal Subscription” as an “important” or “very important” member benefit
67% said “networking opportunities at conferences and
through NACADA sponsored list serves” were “important” or “very
important”
65% selected the electronic communications and the
NACADA web site information as “important” or “very important” member
benefit
85% of respondents identified “offering a
conference/event within driving distance” or “offering a video
conference or teleconference” as the ONE new initiative they would like
to see pursued in the next year.
95% believe NACADA dues are reasonable in relation to the benefits.

A sample of the comments to the question, “What one thing
NOT covered above would you like the NACADA Leadership to know
regarding your member benefits” were:

Need some professional development opportunities delivered at-a-distance

Canada members would like more meetings for them in Canada

Experienced members want advanced professional development opportunities

Would like the leadership to encourage new leaders from diverse groups within the association

Highlight practical advising information resources on the web site

Many stated their appreciation for all the association
provides, and they expect the high level of services to be maintained
and to grow.

We appreciate the ‘experienced’ members who took the time
to complete the survey and express their thoughts. We look forward to
comparing these results with the responses of our newest members and of
those who have not renewed their memberships. These responses and
comments will help leaders shape the organization’s future in the
Strategic Planning process.

Preliminary proposals are now being accepted for NACADA Research grants. Proposals received by March 8, 2004 may receive feedback to enhance their submission prior to the June 7, 2004 final deadline. Complete information is available at the NACADA web site.

NACADA has particular interest in soliciting proposals that document the outcomes of different advising models. In addition, submissions are encouraged that are concerned with developing, conducting, and reporting: empirical studies; evaluation or analysis of advising practices, models or systems; development, evaluation or analysis of advising-based theory; studies of the history, evolution and future of the field; empirical research related to the advising process (inter- and intra-personal dimensions); and, qualitative research on advising practices.

Up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) may be awarded to support a single-year proposal. Multiple-year awards may also be awarded. Award winners will be notified by late summer. Funds will be disbursed following the research award winner's submission of the completed NACADA Research Agreement.

To review a list of ten advising topics identified by the NACADA Research Committee as being critical areas of research in advising, please visit the NACADA web site. For a list of those research topics awarded NACADA grants in the past, please visit the NACADA web site.

NACADA / Kansas State University Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising Has a Successful First Semester

The newly initiated NACADA / K-State Partnership with K-State’s Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising had a very successful first semester with over 70 students from across the country and Canada enrolling in and completing the first course,Foundations in Academic Advising. The course, taught byCharlie Nutt, Associate Director of NACADA and Assistant Professor in the K-State Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, had a very diverse student enrollment – faculty members, full-time advisors, administrators, full-time graduate students, and those interested in entering the field of advising. The on-line format proved to be very positive as students were able to gather vast amounts of information from each other about advising programs and initiatives across the country.

January-May semester classes being offered are Foundations of Academic Advising and Multicultural Counseling and Advising. Students may register for these courses through March 15, 2004, understanding that all course work must be completed by the end of the term in May 2004.

For information on application and registration procedures, as well as the course syllabi for these courses, visit the NACADA web site.

NACADA Journal

The NACADA Journal Editors have worked hard to put the Journal back on schedule without skipping any issues. The Editors thank you for your patience and hope you will enjoy the upcoming Journal issues.

Interest and strength in quantitative (experimental or descriptive), qualitative, historical, or philosophical/theoretical research methodology

Active membership in NACADA (required)

Graduate degree (required)

Expectations:

Review manuscripts for significance, appropriateness, research methodology, and quality of writing within 30 days of receipt.

Provide constructive feedback to authors for manuscript improvement.

Ability to use Microsoft Word and E-mail with attachments.

Annual attendance at the Editorial Board meeting held during the NACADA National Conference (Preferred).

Appointment: Editorial Board members serve 3-year terms that begin and end at the National Conference in the fall. An Editorial Board member may serve non-consecutive terms.

Application: Applicants familiar with the field of academic advising who are interested in seeking a position as manuscript reviewer on the Editorial Board should submit an email message to Journals@ksu.edu stating interest in and rationale for serving as a member of the NACADA Journal Editorial Board. A professional resume prepared in Microsoft Word .doc format should be attached. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Advising Native Americans in Higher Education

Mark A Bellcourt, Native American and Tribal College Interest Group Past Chair

Native Americans have always
valued education and learning, and many are accomplished science and
mathematics practitioners (traditional healers, herbalists, astronomers,
builders, etc). Even so, it is ironic that today approximately 50% of
Native Americans will graduate from high school, and only 17% will
attempt college (National Science Foundation, 2000; Pavel, Swisher,
& Ward, 1994). There are many cultural and social reasons for these
low rates including reservations located in remote areas, a lack of
successful Native American role models, English as a second language,
and the low socioeconomic status of many Native Americans (Cajete,
2000).

Suspicion of the traditional American education system is very strong
among the Native American populations. During the late 19th and early
20th centuries, Native Americans were forced into separate, but
certainly not equal, educational systems. Marr (2004) states that
Congress backed a policy establishing schools that promised to make the
“Indian population into patriotic and productive members of society”
thus supporting a policy of assimilation that called for the systematic
and intentional destruction of an entire population. Marr highlights
Richard Henry Pratt, a leading proponent of the 'kill the Indian and
save the man' philosophy, who opened the first Indian boarding school in
1879. Pratt commissioned ‘before’ pictures, with students in their long
braids and regalia, and ‘after’ pictures showing the same students with
short hair and military clothing. He thought these pictures would show
the country that Indians could be civilized.

Through the 1950s, school policies systematically broke
up families, forbade Native languages, banned traditional and spiritual
practices, and relocated children to schools far from their homes.
Through these actions more than two generations of Native Americans lost
their identities in the name of traditional American education
(University of Washington Library, 2003). Today’s Native American
students are frequently reminded by their parents, grandparents and
great grandparents of these atrocities, and are covertly and overtly
told not to trust the traditional education system.

The statistics are equally dismal for Native American students in our
colleges and universities. Janis Swenson Taylor (Taylor, 1999) reported
that “…skin color and appearance, covert and overt racial hostility,
lack of respect, stereotyping, loneliness, lack of role models, and lack
of institutional support…” impact Native American success in college.
She also reported that the students’ reasons for attending college and
level of family support are equally important to Native American
persistence in college. In many tribes, the sense of community and
extended families are very highly valued. Sometimes Native American
students must choose to attend college far away from home or to stay on
the reservation.

However, the future is looking much brighter for Native
Americans. According to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium
(AIHEC), casinos and other tribal enterprises have enabled a number of
tribes to charter colleges in their local communities. In the last 10
years, tribally chartered colleges have increased from 15 to 34 and
enrollments have risen from less than 15,000 to more than 34,000
(American Indian Higher Education Consortium, 1999). Tribal colleges
have now gained “land grant status” that provides extra federal funds
for research and the ground needed for agricultural and natural resource
stations and for building campuses. Although many of these newly formed
institutions are currently going through the accreditation process,
many have completed the process and are becoming credible and legitimate
members of the higher education community. A number of these colleges
now offer 4-year and advanced degrees directly or through articulation
agreements with nearby institutions.

Now that education has come to many of these remote locations and
tribal control allows for culturally relevant curriculums, Native
Americans are seeking higher education in increasing numbers. If this
trend continues, and all evidence suggests that it will, an increasing
number of Native American students will be entering our institutions of
higher education. As academic advisors, we must be ready to accommodate
these students’ needs. It is imperative that we honor their heritage,
value their wisdom, and understand their histories. We need to help them
transition from reservations and tribal colleges to our cities and
traditional institutions. That is why we founded the Native American and
Tribal College Interest Group (NATIG) in NACADA.

NATIG is intended to bring together both Native and
non-Native American students, advisors, faculty and other student
service personnel. The forum created by this group will not only address
the needs of Native American students, but will engage the greater
advising community in Native American educational issues.

Mark A. Bellcourt
University of Minnesota

References

American Indian Higher Education Consortium. (1999). Tribal Colleges: An Introduction.

Meeting Student Needs in Tough Economic Times

Lynda J. Sukolsky, Seton Hill University

In these economic times, meeting the needs of so many
diverse student populations can be a challenge. However I believe there
are steps a college or university can take to effectively, and
efficiently, provide quality services.

Simple stated, quality service comes from quality people.
An institution should seek to hire well-trained individuals to provide
quality advising services. Advertising through the NACADA Position announcements
for candidates who possess interpersonal and multicultural skills, and
knowledge of developmental and career theories, is essential to advising
programs staffed by full-time, professional advisors. Faculty based
advising programs must provide quality advisor training and development
that goes beyond the informational elements of advising to include the
conceptual and relational aspects that make a significant difference for
students. Examples of successful faculty advisor development programs
can be found in Advisor Training: Exemplary Practices in the Development of Advisor Skills.

Secondly, consider developing a freshman seminar course that allows
for quality advising in a group setting. First year students need more
time to gather and synthesize information about your campus. While a
freshman seminar course provides that, when taught by an academic
advisor, it can help students make the needed advising connection
central to proven retention strategies. An added bonus is that it
provides quality advising services in a time efficient way.

Consider utilizing a “peer advising” system. My grant
program (TRIO) developed a peer mentoring program to work with our
at-risk students. It has proven to be a great opportunity for our
at-risk students to have additional support, and the peer mentors talk
positively about the services students can access for additional help. I
think the same model could work in an advising center. Upperclass
students could be peer advisors. They could answer “walk in” general
requirement questions and assist students in developing a preliminary
schedule. Peer advisors could direct students to appropriate offices or
services when asked. Certainly, their duties should be limited, and
on-going training must occur, but in a budget conscience office, this
type of program could help. Find examples of peer advising programs in
recent NACADA Journal articles and in the Clearinghouse and watch for the upcoming Peer Advising monograph next winter.

Utilizing technology is also a good way to reach students in a cost
effective way. Most college campuses have web sites, which could contain
advising information. Some campuses have an internal system than can be
customized to their needs. My campus has a system called Jweb. It is an
online course organization system similar to Blackboard . I have set up
an advising group, which allows me to email pertinent information to my
students and allows them to respond with questions or concerns. I can
set up discussion boards and group the students by major, year of school
etc., so the information I send is specific to the students needs.
Technology can also provide computer based credit checks, a means to
distribute newsletters addressing common advising issues, and if a
campus has their own television station, information can be posted
there.

Intrusive advising with at-risk students is a preferred
way to advise at-risk students but can be very time consuming. The
establishment of a course for students below the academic standard
allows the advisor to meet with these students in a group, work on
common themes, provide individual meetings as needed, and is cost
effective.

Utilizing people in the surrounding community to connect with
students can help extend the advising unit. Recruiting community
leaders/workers, especially those from ethnic minorities, to meet with
students can be very effective. Additionally, if the college is near a
graduate level counseling program, the advising unit could act as an
internship site. I have hosted four graduate level counseling students
in my office and have found it to be a win-win situation. The graduate
student has the opportunity to practice skills and get the “real world”
experience needed, and I have an extra pair of hands that allows our
office to offer more services. Advisees often relate well to someone
closer to their age.

I would add a word of caution, based upon ACT research
that shows advisor training, evaluation and reward are the weakest links
in advising. I fear that when an advising unit is looking for ways to
provide services to various groups without increasing the dollar amount,
the extras, such as these components will be the first to go.
Ironically, it is with training, evaluation and reward that advisors
improve and can provide a higher quality service.

Lynda J. Sukolsky
Academic Counselor
Seton Hill University
(Student in the Kansas State University graduate certificate program in academic advising)sukolsky@setonhill.edu

Academic Advising Today, a NACADA member benefit, is published four times annually by NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. NACADA holds exclusive copyright for all Academic Advising Today articles and features. For complete copyright and fair use information, including terms for reproducing material and permissions requests, see Publication Guidelines.

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NACADA promotes and supports quality academic advising in institutions of higher education to enhance the educational development of students. NACADA provides a forum for discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas pertaining to academic advising through numerous activities and publications. NACADA also serves as an advocate for effective academic advising by providing a Consulting and Speaker Service and funding for Research related to academic advising.